WILFREDO GOMEZ-LUPE PINTOR BEST FIGHT EVER? PART III

San Francisco, CA- The stage was set. The grudge filled rivalry that is Mexico vs. Puerto Rico was in play here. In Lupe Pintor’s corner you will see WBC President Jose Sulaiman. Across the ring with champion Wilfredo Gomez was the great late Yamil Charde. Simply put, Yamil Charde was the Godfather of Puerto Rican boxing. The referee was the iconic Arthur Mercante Sr.

AMERICA’S VOICE OF BOXING, TV, MORE!

Introducing the fighters was the late Jimmy Lennon Sr. Being March 3, 1982, this was “old school” boxing at it’s best with Don King in his prime. Lennon Sr., a household face who appeared on countless television shows and feature films, his voice was pure Americana. Mr. Lennon, that’s what I called him, to everybody else he was just Jimmy, passed in 1992.

HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR VIDEO OF PURE VIOLENCE

While writing a piece on the fight round by round, I realized I could not do it justice. Therefore, here it is broken up into YouTube.com segments. Having watched it again all I can ask is that from one to ten, how would you rate this epic encounter? A 12? At the end of the videos below, I’ll offer some final words and the scorecards.

PART 1 OF 7

PART 2 OF 7

PART 3 OF 7

PART 4 OF 7

PART 5 OF 7

PART 6 OF 7

FINAL SEGMENT

HELL OF A FIGHT FOLKS!

The scores after 13 complete rounds had Harold Lederman for Gomez 125-121, Dick Cole had Gomez 125-120, while Artie Adiala saw Pintor the better man at 124-123. My scorecard was 125-120 for Gomez.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT FOR THESE GUYS?

Pintor would eventually win the WBC 122 lb. title that Gomez vacated by besting Juan “Kid Meza in 1985. In his first defense, he was creamed in Thailand by Samart Payakaron (11-0). He had seven more fights, some part of a 1994-95 ill-fated comeback, won two and was drilled in his final bout by Russell Mosley (7-16-1) in Tijuana.

GOMEZ ROSE, FELL, GOT UP, & GOT FAT!

Wilfredo Gomez, the best 122 lb. fighter in history is now weighing around 250 lbs. But hey, Wilfredo is happy and says he is clean. He had eight fights after Pintor, going 6-2. Gomez beat Juan Laporte at 126 (the only man to go the distance and lose to Wilfredo) via UD 12 before he lost to Azumah Nelson (KO 11) before ascending to 130. One win was a MD 15 robbery win over WBA 130 lb. king Rocky Lockridge in 1985. Losing the WBA laurels to Alfredo Layne in 1986, Gomez had a win at 133 lbs. in 1988, and scaled 142 for his final bout, a win over 4-19 Mario Salazar.

FINAL NUMBERS FOR BOTH MEN

Gomez retired 44-3-1, 42 KOs. He had 21 WBC title fights, losing 2. The WBA title claim was short lived as he lost to Alfredo Layne right after the Lockridge heist. Lupe Pintor, with the exception of the WBC 122 lb. surprise win over Juan “Kid” Meza, crashed and burned after Gomez, going 8-7-1, finishing up at 56-14-2, 42 KOs.

16 comments

This fight has been done no justice. On the books all you read is Ali-Frazier 3, Ali-Frazier 3, Ali-Frazier 3, Leonard-Hearns 1, Leonard-Hearns 1, Leonard-Hearns 1, Hagler-Hearns, Hagler-Hearns, Hagler-Hearns, but this fight might have been better than all 3!

Whenever watching classic fights you can’t help but notice how much more often it was the case to see boxers built from the legs up as opposed to the more top-heavy look of many of today’s fighters (especially those from first-world countries).

Both of these guys are bigger in the legs than they are on top. Can’t help but feel that for most people this has advantages in terms of getting more and quicker second winds, and being able to let the hands go with fluidity in the late rounds and get up on their toes with impressive lighntess. The bout never degenerated into a slogg in the championship rounds.

However, while re-appreciating this classic with every viewing, I must say that this decade’s 122lb war of Vazquez-Marquez 3 does not lag far behind … the combined durability of the fighters might not quite equal Gomez & Pintor, but the combined skill level might have been higher.

They don’t make ‘em any tougher or braver than Lupe Pintor. But the fight was probably extended by a few rounds by Gomez fighting at a weight whixch was no longer sustainable for him while the ex-Banthamweight Pintor seems more comfortable and filled out at 122.

I remember that while watching Pacquiao-Marquez 1, I had no doubt I was watching a fight of historic quality between two fighters who stack up very well against the best I’ve seen.

Six subsequent viewings as well as going back to the footage of many top fighters between 126-130 over the last 40 years did nothing but reinforce that first impression.

I might favour Arguello, Nelson, Sanchez, Pep & Sadler to defeat the Featherweight versions of Pacquiao & JMM – but only in their primes and with their absolut A-games – anything less and it’s a toss-up at best (although Sadler might have been able to pull it off on an off-night because of the unusual combination of explosive power and ability to fight ugly)

It’s very difficult to measure Pacquiao against greats under 126. These are very asymetric comparisons because on one hand Pacquiao was still a fiarly green, uncultivated commodity at the time who apparently spent more time in the gym getting down to a shrink-wrapped 122 as opposed to developing skills & tactics – and yet his chin & power carried into 130’s & 140’s so the matchup is also unfair to guys who topped out in the 120’s.

Carol, I tell you something Don King is good matchmaker. But, we have to give our boxers some good amount of money. They are the entertainers, not the Promoter. The price the fighter pays in the ring, is physical, spiritual. Don King has done enough damage to our fighters already. The boxers should have sometime of benefit after boxing for a lifetime. Have you ever heard Gerald McClelan? and other mishap in boxing.

I agree that 1982 would have to be one of the greatest fight year of our era ! Those were great fights, and this fight was a undercard fight.. Once again, put up by the great Don King. Say what you want about the guy, but he sure was boxing.